bombardier beetle
noun
any ground beetle of the genus Brachinus, which ejects a puff of volatile fluid from its abdomen with a popping sound when disturbed.
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Nearby words
- bomb squad,
- bombacaceous,
- bombard,
- bombarde,
- bombardier,
- bombardment,
- bombardon,
- bombasine,
- bombast,
- bombastic
Origin of bombardier beetle
First recorded in 1795–1805
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019